wfn.org | 'Downsized' employees named

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Note #7144 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

30-April-2002
02161

'Downsized' employees named

Two 40-year staffers are among those cut 

by Alexa Smith

LOUISVILLE - The General Assembly Council (GAC) has released the names of 43 people on the national staff of the Presbyterian Church (USA) whose jobs will be eliminated effective May 3.
The downsizing was necessary to cut expenses and fund new priorities in the 2003 mission budget.

Three additional employees took voluntary retirement: Martha Miller, switchboard operator at the Presbyterian Center, with 11 years of service; the Rev. Rosalie Potter, associate director for Evangelism and Church Development, 24 years; and the Rev. Fred Walls, coordinator for Self Development of People, 37 years. (Those who are ministers are credited with service since ordination; others are years served on the national staff.)

Two of those who are losing their jobs have served for more than four decades: Diana Stephen, associate for rural ministry, 42 years, and the Rev. David McCreath, coordinator in the Office of Stewardship Education, 41 years.

Stephen has the longest service on the national staff. She went to work for the denomination in New York City when she was 18 years old.

Work in many offices at the Presbyterian Center was reorganized, but the cuts hit Mission Service Recruitment particularly hard. That was not surprising, given that budget shortfalls that have put a temporary freeze on the hiring of mission personnel.  A $40 million campaign is just getting under way to support foreign missions, new-church development and racial-ethnic church growth. That campaign is one of the new budget priorities; the first-year cost is estimated at $1 million.

Property Services, the office that manages the Presbyterian Center and other denominational holdings worldwide, was eliminated altogether. Its functions are being transferred to the building maintenance staff and to Mission Support Services.

Congregational Ministries Publishing lost staff members in the marketing of non-curriculum resources.

Two of the affected employees have at least 30 years of service: the Rev. Les Sauer, coordinator for South and Southeast Asia in the Worldwide Ministries Division (WMD), with 31 years, and Isabel Gonzalez-Rudolph, senior administrative assistant in WMD's People in Mutual Mission office, with 30 years.

Those with 20 years of service or more are Annie Wu King, coordinator in the Women's Ministries Program Area, 29 years; the Rev. Robert Smylie, director of the Presbyterian United Nations Office, 27 years; Maria Alvarez, a financial-aid associate in the Higher Education Program Area, 24 years; and Susan Ellison, an associate in Call Referral Services, 24 years. 

There are 12 people with at least 10 years of service: Julia Ann Moffett, coordinator for Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico, 19 years; Linda Freeman, administrative assistant in the Higher Education Program Area, 15 years; Annette Carter, administrator in the Office of Information Services, 13 years; Carol Davies, administrative assistant, Social Justice Program Area, 13 years; Lisa Higdon, receptionist in Property Services, 13 years; John Hoffman, senior clerk, Presbyterian Distribution Services, 13 years; Ray Starks, assistant manager, Presbyterian Distribution Center, 13 years; William Gatewood, associate director of Property Services, 12 years; Laura Eichenberger, senior administrative assistant, Congregational Ministries Publishing, 11 years; Katherine Ockels, associate in Mission Service Recruitment, 11 years; Darlene Dean, administrative assistant in Urban Ministry, 10 years; and Michael Smith, facility manager, 10 years.

Twenty-four employees have put more than five years: Jeanne Romer, administrative assistant for Southern and East Africa, nine years; Anthony Schlisser, associate in Congregational Ministries Marketing, nine years; Vanessa Lewis, administrative assistant, Racial Ethnic Ministries, eight years; Salome Cavalcante, administrative assistant, Evangelism and Church Development, seven years; Stephanie Finn, associate in Congregational Ministries Marketing, six years; Leigh Harper, administrative assistant, purchasing, six years; the Rev. Dale Jackson, associate for small church development, six years; Kevin Gellhaus, real estate manager, five years; and Deborah Leacock, associate in Evangelism and Church Development, five years.

Less than five years: Melissa Bates, project manager in the Real Estate Office; Dana Shackelford, administrative assistant, Older Adult Ministries; Christina Thomas, senior administrative assistant, Property Services; Joseph Combs, support analyst, Office of Information Services; Joseph Hensel, administrative assistant, PresbyNet; Stacy Hill, senior administrative assistant, Mission Service Recruitment; and Dan Pierson, database administrator, Office of Information Services; Chris Ferrell, assistant in Congregational Ministries Marketing; Ronald Cooper, copywriter in Congregational Ministries Marketing; Frank Voegtlin, associate for computer communication, PresbyNet; Robin Hammond, senior administrative assistant, Global Education and Leader Development; Alfonso Lopez, administrative assistant, Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico; Teresa Rivera, administrative assistant, Ecumenical and Mission Partnership; and Gloria Faye Ferman, administrative assistant, Office of Stewa!
rdship Education.

Two other positions will be eliminated by the end of the year. Twenty-one vacant positions will not be filled.

The Congregational Ministries Division (CMD) lost the most positions, 18; the National Ministries Division lost the most actual employees, 11. Nine positions were terminated in Property Services. CMD and WMD lost eight employees each.

The terminated employees are eligible to apply first for reorganized and new positions posted last week on the Center's internal Web site.	
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